Honey, There's a Snake In Our Living Room!

But his doctrine is right on man!

This is the common response, the common defense, that is used to justify ungodly behavior and affirming gospel enemies.   Recently Michael Brown sat with that snake of 21st century snakes, Benny Hinn.  He figures it's ok to dance with the devil because he is going to "reach his audience." BeBeBeBeBenny is not the only snake it's cool to coil with.  There's Francis Chan chillin' with Mike Bickle, proclaiming his love for him.

Perhaps the snakes are just huddling out in the open together.

And the naysayers loudly shout, 'Come on man!  His doctrine is rock solid. What's the big deal?" What's the big deal?! Really? Have you not read the Apostle Paul?  The words of Jude?  Have you not heard what the Beloved Apostle John has written?  

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. ~ 2 John 9–11

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ~ Jude 4

    For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. ~2 Timothy 4:3–4

When the false teacher Cerinthus entered the bathhouse that the beloved apostle was in what happened?  He went Usain Bolt on the place.  John sprang up and said, "Let us flee, lest the bath fall; for Cerinthus, the enemy of truth is within."  The last thing on this godly man's mind was discussion with a false teacher in order to 'reach his audience.' Did you get that?  The Apostle of love bailed as fast as he could and he vehemently opposed all fakes like him.

Today it has become the gracious, pious way to allow for dialogue with false teachers.  Go back to that gray beast with the long trunk where TD Jakes was welcomed as a brother yet denies the Trinity.  Oh yeah, we're sophisticated now.  We have grace.  We believe mere words over practice.  Yet God the Holy Spirit says we must 

prove (ourselves) doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ~ James 1:22

Paul commanded Timothy to 

carefully follow my doctrine, manner of life... ~ 2 Timothy 3:10

Paul also said Timothy would be constantly nourished on the words of faith and

sound doctrine which you have been following. ~ 1 Timothy 4:6

Get it? Doctrine directs your life or as theologians like to say,

Orthopraxy follows orthodoxy.

What you say doesn't mean diddly if you don't live it.  So rather than give a free pass to big name professing Christians, why not be biblical and test what they say with what they do?  Test what they say with who they hang out with. Best of all, do so in light of scripture

test all things, hold fast to that which is good. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:21 

That is unless you're cool with rock solid doctrine that drives celebrity pastors to happen upon events because they are just in the neighborhood.